The latest target to emerge on Manchester United’s transfer radar is Club Brugge midfielder Ardon Jashari.
Manchester United are closing in on their second major signing of the summer with a £60m bid submitted for Bryan Mbeumo this week.
Beyond that, Ruben Amorim wants an “athletic midfielder” signed this summer as well as potentially a new striker.
In terms of the midfield search, United are chasing Ardon Jashari as a potential target with Club Brugge seeking £34 million for the 22-year-old.
Ardon Jashari has clear strengths but worrying weaknesses
Jashari might be an unfamiliar name to United fans but he has become a key player at a young age for Club Brugge. Last season, he made 52 appearances across all competitions, including 11 in the Champions League.
He plays as a deep-lying midfielder in a double pivot for Brugge, making him an ideal fit as a midfielder in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 setup at United.
Jashari’s Fbref profile outlines his strengths in midfield but also exposes some fairly worrying weaknesses.
Statistics show that Jashari’s strength is undoubtedly with the ball at his feet. He ranks in the 95th percentile for expected assists across all midfielders, the 90th percentile for passes attempted and the 88th percentile for progressive passers.
However, Jashari struggles defensively, and his stats will concern fans. He completes just 1.29 tackles per 90 minutes, ranking him in the bottom nine percent of midfielders.
He is also in the bottom nine percent for blocks made and the bottom eight percent for aerial duels won. Standing at 5’9″, it is clear why Jashari isn’t the strongest in the air. But with Amorim wanting more physicality in his side, it’s difficult to see how Jashari fits the bill.
One promising comparison is that Jashari shares a very similar style of play to Ballon d’Or contender Vitinha, who starred in PSG’s Champions League win last season.
Jashari matches Vitinha’s passing figures and is a brilliant carrier of the ball, but his defensive work needs to improve.
How Ardon Jashari would fit into Ruben Amorim’s XI
United’s interest in Jashari dates back to March, meaning he has been on Amorim’s radar for months now.
Given his position in midfield for Brugge, if Jashari did make a move to Old Trafford he would be expected to play one of the two central midfield roles in Amorim’s line-up.
Due to his defensive fragility, he would likely be paired with a defensive-minded midfield partner such as Manuel Ugarte.
With Ugarte tasked with protecting the back three and breaking up play, Jashari would be given freedom to roam forward and link up play with the front three.
A partnership with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo could prove more problematic with both players preferring to roam forward on the ball.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
